The Ministry of Education and Science of Kyrgyzstan will conduct a pilot testing of the model of the voucher mechanism for financing state educational grants as part of the plan for admission to higher and secondary vocational education organizations for the 2025/26 academic year. The draft resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers says.
The voucher mechanism is a method of state financing, in which budget funds allocated in the republican budget follow the student to educational organizations regardless of the form of ownership.
During the pilot testing, the mechanism will be provided only for pedagogical areas of training:
- Pedagogical education (bachelor) — 1,941 grants;
- Pedagogical education (specialist) — 20 grants;
- Education and pedagogical sciences — 580 grants;
- Education and pedagogical sciences (physical education and sports) — 45 grants.
Admission to universities is carried out through the automated information system «Applicant Online».
As the ministry explained to 24.kg news agency, changes will be made to it taking into account the introduction of vouchers. All interested applicants will be able to take part in the competition, taking into account the results of the Nationwide Testing.
The voucher holder will have a free choice of higher education institution, including a private one. However, there is no list of universities with pedagogical training areas that are ready to take part in the pilot testing yet. The video instruction is planned to be prepared by the beginning of the admission campaign.
According to the temporary procedure, the cost of a voucher for universities is 42,350 soms, for secondary vocational education organizations — 65,500 soms per year.
If the cost of tuition exceeds the cost of the state educational grant, the responsibility for paying the remaining amount is assigned to the grant recipient by law.
The voucher holder is obliged to reimburse the educational organization, regardless of the form of ownership, for expenses in the amount of the voucher value in the following cases:
- Refusal to work in the profession after completing the training;
- Expulsion for an unjustified reason or at one’s own request.
The pilot testing of the voucher financing mechanism does not apply to educational organizations of higher and secondary vocational education located in Batken region.
